Doing It Large: Dh11m Dubai Villa With Theatre In Basement And Personal Lift

Owning a slice of green in the desert of Dubai comes at a premium – and for good reason.

As the real estate market slows down, Al Barari, long known for its verdant landscaped gardens, has a villa available in the market for a reduced price of Dh11.9 million.

The fully furnished seven-bedroom villa spread across 12,700 square feet also has a study and parking for three cars. It comes with a maid’s room and a driver’s room besides a private landscaped garden and an infinity pool.

The villa is set out over three levels: with a basement featuring a home theatre; four reception rooms, a family and service kitchen and two bedrooms on the ground floor, and a further five bedrooms on the first floor. For those who dislike climbing the stairs, a personal lift can take the strain.

The homes are “set in their own landscaped paradise with infinity pools, water features, entertaining areas and rooftop terraces”, according to Dubai-based Ocean View Real Estate, where it is listed.

The villa forms part of the first phase of the development’s master plan, known as The Residences.

Al Barari, which translates as “wilderness”, is located in Nad Al Sheba in Dubailand, overlooking a protected wildlife reserve.

Last month, it launched a new development called The Nest with villas between Dh7.7million and Dh12m. But this week, villas at The Nest were going for prices starting at Dh6.75m for four-bedroom homes on online property websites.

The 99 villas will bring the total number of villas at Al Barari to 319. It has five residential segments: The Nest, Ashjar, Seventh Heaven, The Reserve and The Residences.

The entire project is billed as a green living getaway, with leafy roads, the fresh-food themed restaurant The Farm and a privately-owned plant nursery. About 80 per cent of the 4.2 million sq ft development has gardens and water bodies, says the Zaal family behind the development.

In keeping with its nature theme, the development at times holds events such as a pop-up farmers’ market in March.

Q&A

Why is the villa on the market for a reduced price?

“For no other reason than the vendor is very motivated to sell,” says Kati Moghaddam from Ocean View Real Estate.

So what would be the usual price for a villa of this size in Al Barari?

The average price for a D type villa is about Dh15 million. There are some properties at Dh13.5m.

How much have the sales and rental yields changed in the first quarter of this year?

Villa sales dipped 1 per cent, compared to the previous quarter, while rental rates remained unchanged, according to the consultancy JLL’s report. “This downwards trend is expected to continue throughout [this year], as we foresee prices dropping up to 10 per cent by year-end.” Are luxury homes still the favoured trend for the Dubai property market?

Analysts forecast a shift towards more affordable housing geared towards end-users and middle-income earners. The Dubai-based developer Nshama’s Town Square project comprises two phases: Zahra and Hayat. These consist of town houses and apartments priced at Dh600 per square foot near the Arabian Ranches. If the Dubai Municipality proposal comes into force, all new residential developments will feature a certain percentage of affordable housing. The agency has also identified about 100 hectares of land for affordable housing projects.